[EDITING]
When Jeon Jeongguk's sister gets engaged to his friend's brother, almost everything changes.
Desperate to hold onto a fragile friendship, Jeongguk is willing to get himself into sticky situations--even to the point of ruining his sister's...
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Chapter Forty-Four: Journey to the Centre of the Soul
Her name was Miss Lee, more commonly known as the founder of Celli, which was one of the bigger brands in the high-end fashion industry. She was known for her work-ethic and determination, for clawing her way up to the top and proving to everyone, especially men, that she deserved that place just as much as everyone else.
And there she stood, in a red dress so vibrant it resembled one of those post-boxes from London. It was made of silk; straight and clean-cut, sophisticated, with a plunging neckline. Around her neck she had a thin and black scarf that draped down her front. Her hair was dishevelled; a soft brown and around shoulder-length; her eyes were dark and smokey and her lips were red. She was beautiful, and there were features of Taehyung hidden within her face, especially in her eyes, but she didn't really resemble him. She more resembled Namjoon, in a sense, although it was difficult to pinpoint the similarities. Maybe it was the chin, maybe her lips, maybe her height (for she was a tall woman ... granted, she was wearing heels), or maybe it was that look of sophistication and strength she had about her.
She looked young, younger than Taehyung's father. She would have been in her mid-forties by then, but it was hard to tell from looking at her––she seemed younger. She eerily reminded him of Taehyung. Not in how she looked, but how she behaved, the way she bore herself, the way she spoke. Her smile was like Taehyung's, glowing and light. The youth in her, and the way she focused her entire attention on her son reminded Jeongguk of when he had seen Taehyung in the exact same position, focusing his entire attention on someone, listening to them with his entire body. She was tuned in on him as if he were the only frequency she could possibly perceive and Taehyung was the same––when he listened to someone, he heard only them. There seemed to be a tangible aura surrounding her, a light around her frame––and Jeongguk couldn't pull his eyes away from her. He didn't know why, he didn't know what it was, but he was eerily aware of Taehyung having that exact same effect on him.
But it wasn't the same. While Taehyung's charm charmed him, his mother's made him feel uneasy, uncertain, wary almost. Maybe it was because he didn't really know her. Maybe it was frightening to feel that someone had control over you before having even uttered a single word. And it was strange too, to find hints of someone you knew so well in someone you did not know. That sense of familiarity, clouded with something so unfamiliar. He had seen that smile before––he knew that smile, but the sensations it produced were so completely different. He had seen that smile before, but he felt it didn't belong to her.
It took Jeongguk a moment to come back to reality, to take in the entire scene before him, and that's when he noticed Namjoon sitting by the table, observing his mother as she grabbed Taehyung's shoulders, cupped his face, took a good look at him, told him how much she missed him. Jeongguk moved and took a seat by the table, across from Namjoon. There was a glass of red wine in front of him, another one next to it belonging to Miss Lee and a big bottle. Namjoon picked it up and took a big swig, eyes still on his mother. When he turned his head, Jeongguk saw that his eyes were dark with thought. Then he smiled. "So..." he said, low voice, "she finally saw the means to show up."
